Friends Through Time
by DJ Rose
Summary: AU OC ... A training session is cut short as Leo and Raph make a surprising discovery. The turles' world is thrown in upheaval as they try to aid their new ally, despite the odds against them. It won't so easy as an old foe plots otherwise.
1. Same Time Yesterday

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Fair warning to any and all: Donatello has been my favorite since I first laid eyes on the 1987 TV series and my love for that little purple-wearing turtle has grown steadily on through the movies and was rekindled recently when a friend re-introduced me to them. What can I say; I go for the strong silent type. D

Also, bear with me as I get this story set up and rolling. It may start out slow, but I'll try to keep things as entertaining as I can. I think you'll all like reading about Andy as much as I've enjoyed writing the character. It's one I've been working on for quite some time now.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own, doesn't mean I can't play. However, the character of Lieutenant Colonel Andree "Andy" McCallister I do own as well as any characters related to her, so no touchy touchy.

** Mars – 2386 **

Andree lifted her head slightly; sweat dripping from her forehead, her breathing hard. The man that stood before her wiped his brow and grinned. He gave her a questioning look and the woman just nodded, setting herself into a ready stance. The man did the same, but quickly broke position and attacked.

Having had anticipated him making the first move, Andree was ready for the onslaught of punches and kicks that came flying at her. She managed to easily block and evade the first series. A smile spread across her face as they faced each other, the fighting paused.

"You know something, McCallister. I hate you sometimes, you wanna know why?" he asked through gasps.

"Please, Sanders, tell me. I'm dying to know." She stood up straight, placing her hands on the small of her back and stretching.

"You're so damned good at everything. Fighting for one," Sanders started, motioning to what they were doing, "Two, this little command of yours. Not what you do, oh no, but how you got it." He chuckled and shook a finger at her. "And, let's not forget the piece de resistance…"

"Oh, no now this is just brown nosing…" Andree folded her arms across her body, waiting to hear what her right-hand man had to say.

"You're a damned good pilot." The Marine Captain let out with an exasperated breath.

"You're just sucking up now, Sanders."

"I do what I can." He shrugged his shoulders, proud of himself. Andree merely shook her head. When she decided that he had stopped paying attention, Andree crouched down, turning and sweeping her leg behind her in a graceful circle. Sanders let out a surprised yell as his legs flew out from beneath him.

The man lay on the flat of his back staring up at Andree as she glanced down giving him a look as if to say "better luck next time." There was no time for further sparring as a disembodied voice broke through the air.

"Lieutenant Colonel McCallister and Captain Sanders, please report to the Command Center." Just as quickly the voice ceased and all was quiet again. Andree sighed. Holding out her hand, she helped Sanders to his feet, patting his back as he stood.

"Good work out today. Same time tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yeah, and this time I won't go so easy on you." Sanders declared. Andree just laughed as she turned and walked out of the room. He just shook his head and went to clean up.

** Command Center **

Showered and wearing a clean uniform, Andree McCallister strolled into the Command Center. Captain Michael Sanders was already there, looking over the shoulder of a young Lieutenant as they reviewed the map of a nearby outpost.

"What've we got?" she asked, stepping up to the two men.

"Weapons fire was detected about half an hour ago. At least we think its weapons fire. The signature is strange and erratic, like nothing we have on file." The Captain reported.

McCallister nodded, looking at the map. The Marines shared the planet with various other bases of operation, including an outpost that belonged to an allied race of aliens. Though the relations between the two peoples were peaceful, the aliens preferred to keep mostly to themselves, and Andree didn't mind that one bit. She found them to be quite strange at times.

"It looks like we're going to have to pay our neighbors a visit." Andree wrinkled her nose at the prospect of having to see their allies, but diplomacy and protocol insisted on it.

"I'll put together a team. We'll transport over right away." Sanders turned to leave but McCallister placed a hand on his shoulder stopping him.

"No, you stay here. I'll lead the team." She saw the look he gave her, "Hey, I'm in charge. Besides, I've been cooped up in this hell hole with you for two long," she chided giving him a playful nudge. He just scoffed.

"You're the boss."

"You better believe it." Andree grinned. Enlisting the help of three others, she began making her way out of the room.

"Don't blow up anything of importance while I'm away. The paperwork's a beast." She called over her shoulder.

"Tha-," he let out a huff of air, irritated, "That was only one time!" the Captain yelled after his superior. It was all in vain as the Lieutenant Colonel had already left.

** Transport Site **

"Ready to go when you are, ma'am." The transport operator informed Andree as the team arrived.

"Good. Set coordinates and lets go." She jumped on the transport pad, followed by the others. The operator nodded and went to work. A few moments later he stated that the controls were set and then told to begin.

The whir of the machine filled the room, but the noise was uncharacteristically loud. After a few minutes of trying to engage the transport, the operator stopped.

"There's something wrong, I can't begin the sequence." He stared at the readouts on the screen, trying to find the problem. McCallister stepped down and walked over to the station.

"What is it?" she inquired.

"There appears to be interference coming from the other end. Some sort of magnetic imbalance," he stopped, reading further. Adjusting a few things, the operator finally nodded.

"I think I can bypass it, but you'll only be able to transport over one at a time." He looked to her for approval. McCallister nodded and turned to her team.

"I'll go first. As soon as we're all assembled, we'll find out exactly what it is that's got our friends over yonder all in a huff." Andree received acknowledgement from the others and stepped once more onto the transport pad. Signaling she was ready to the operator, Andree waited.

As the beam engulfed her, something felt strange. Not quite right. On top of the usual tingling sensation, there was a slight pull. It was as if someone or something was yanking her backward. The feeling of falling quickly overtook her, and McCallister started to become disoriented. Things were becoming blurry as she soon passed out…


	2. Training and Discovery

** New York City – Present Day **

All was quiet above the busy city streets of New York. A light breeze worked its way in and around the buildings, maneuvering silently through the clotheslines, wrapping around every tiny piece of fabric. A piece of bright red cloth twisted gracefully in the wind, moving in time with both its owner and the direction of the breeze.

Dark eyes pierced through openings in the red, looking beyond the confines of the fabric. They scoured the rooftops in search of the target. _There it is._ A tell-tale flash of blue moving quickly on the next building over. Jumping into action, the figure ran toward the target, pulling weapons at the same time. There was a flash of silver as the cool steel caught the moonlight.

The figure stopped suddenly, poised for the attack. Just ahead a shadow stood unmoving, showing the presence of another around the corner. Weapons ready, everything was in place. In the same instant that the figure moved to strike, a streak of light flashed across those dark eyes. A look of surprise replaced that of determination as a steel blade seemed to have erupted from the wood. The sword swayed back and forth from the impact of being thrown, as if taunting the figure. The hunt was over.

"Damn! Every time!" Raphael's voice broke the stead-fast silence as it echoed off the nearest high rise. The frustrated turtle threw his arms down in anger, turning in the direction of where the single katana had been thrown from. Leonardo walked out of the shadows, a coy smile on his face. He moved over to the other side of the wooden beam and pulled a bundle piece of canvas from a ledge, showing that it was what had caused the shadow.

"You know, if you learned to keep your target in sight a little better, you may not have this problem." He tossed the canvas to the side, and then pulled the katana from the wood. Raphael contorted his face slightly, mimicking his brother.

"Yeah, well if you hadn't a cheated I woulda won." He forced the two sais back onto his belt as the winner spoke.

"A ninja is a master of his environment." Leo quoted their sensei, waving a taunting finger at Raphael. The red-wearing ninja just scoffed and turned to leave, heading back toward the lair. Leonardo just shook his head and followed.

Just as the two were beginning to make their way down to street level, a blinding light split the sky. It was all Raphael could do from falling down the ladder as he shielded his eyes. Leo was the first to recover from the flash and looked up at its source just in time to see something drop onto the roof top.

"What was that?" Raph asked, climbing up a rung so he could look at his brother.

"I don't know, but something landed over there, and hard. I think that it might've been a person." The last few words faded as Leo began running to where he had seen the figure drop.

"Hey, Leo! Wait up. You don't know what it is!" Raph scrambled back onto the roof and started after his brother. However, Leonardo had a fairly big head start and had already gotten lost among the smoke stacks and debris. Raphael looked behind every column before finding him where the two had been standing only minutes before.

"What is it?" he asked, coming to stand right behind Leo, looking past the handles of the turtle's katanas at the form laying on the ground.

"Not what. Who." Came the reply as he moved so that Raphael had a clear view. Sure enough, there was a woman lying unconscious in front of them.

"Well who is she? More importantly, where did she come from?" Raph placed a hand on one of his sais as he searched their surroundings for anyone else in the area.

"I don't know, but this isn't the place to find out. Here, help me lift her." Leo said as he got into a crouched position, placing his hands under her shoulders.

"Lift her? You're not seriously thinking of bringing her down to the lair? We don't know if she's alone or not. It could be dangerous." Raph protested.

"We're not going to bring her to the lair. April's apartment is just a few blocks away. She'll be safer there."

"Oh right, because that's such a smart idea. Let's ask April to take in some strange woman who fell from the sky." He replied in a harsh sarcastic tone. Leonardo shot him a severe look.

"Would you rather leave her here to freeze to death?" Raphael didn't say anything, "That's what I thought. Now grab her feet."

Raphael muttered something inaudible but stooped down to grab the woman's feet. Between the two ninjas, they managed to carry her to April's building without much trouble. Maneuvering down the fire escape was a bit tricky, but they eventually made it to O'Neal's apartment window. Leonardo shifted his grip and tapped on the glass, peering through into the kitchen.

April, who had been sitting on the couch opposite the window, now raised her head at the noise. Catching sight of the familiar blue bandana, she immediately dropped the newspaper she had been reading and went to let him in. April wasn't prepared, however, to see Leonardo and Raphael carry an unconscious woman into her apartment.

"We're sorry April, but there was no where else we could go." Leo started to explain as Raph came through the window.

"'We'? What do you mean 'we'? This was all your idea, Leo." He protested.

"Don't worry about it," April interjected, stopping the two from starting a fight, "Just put her over on the couch. I'll grab some water." The red head shut the window behind the turtles and began gathering things in the kitchen, "There's a pillow and blanket in the chair." She called after them, as they moved into the living room.

Leo and Raph gently lay the woman onto the couch as April had instructed and stepped back. Grabbing the blanket and pillow, Leonardo kneeled down to place them in the appropriate places. April soon entered the room with a bowl of water and a clean cloth.

"Where did you find her?" she asked, all the while setting the bowl down and dipping the small towel into the water.

"On the roof top of a nearby building, we were training." Leo's voice was quiet as he explained everything to April.

The room remained quiet after that as they watched and waited for any sign of movement. The trio didn't wait long as the cold compress was beginning to work, and their mystery woman started to stir. Raphael placed a cautious hand on a sai as Leo kneeled down next to April. They both waited with bated breath as the woman opened her eyes…


	3. Waking Up

_Ugh, my head is spinning. I'm going to have to talk to someone about that transport…_

Andree moaned as she tried to push herself up into a sitting position. When she initially opened her eyes, things were blurry and she shut them again. The blurriness wasn't the only thing keeping them shut, she was also extremely dizzy. However, she was able to sense the presence of other people in the room. McCallister figured they were just the other members of her team.

It was this subconscious thought that kept Andree from being surprised when a hand reached out and helped her sit up. Finally getting into an upright position she attempted to steady herself, bringing a hand to her head to try and stop the spinning. It was only when someone began speaking to her that she dared open her eyes.

"It's alright, just take a deep breath and relax." Though the voice was faint and soft, she didn't recognize it as being from anyone on her team. Opening her eyes, Andree had to blink a few times to clear them. What she saw took her by surprise. Kneeling next to the couch was a red-haired woman and a green humanoid wearing a blue mask. Behind them was another green humanoid, but this one was wearing a red mask and didn't look to friendly.

"I must've hit my head or something." McCallister cocked her head to the side, "That or this is some sort of joke." The trio just stared at her.

"She's the one who drops out of thin air and thinks _we're_ the ones playing a joke? Sheesh." Raphael rolled his eyes, shaking his head. The comment piqued Andree's interest and she eyed the red-wearing humanoid warily. Instead of speaking to him, she turned to the other two looking for answers.

"If this isn't a joke, then where am I?" _She's the one who drops out of thin air…_The words echoed in her mind. There was no doubt in her mind that these…people had seen the tail end of a transport. The only question now was where the transport had taken her.

"You're in my apartment," the woman was speaking, "The guys here found you on a nearby building." She said motioning behind her. Leonardo had stood and moved away from the group in order to contact the others.

"That's all good and great, but where exactly is your apartment?" Andree shifted her weight slightly, trying to keep her muscles from cramping up.

April looked back at Leo and Raph before turning back to Andree, "Um, New York City." She replied cautiously.

"New York?" McCallister's eyes widened as another question sat poised at the tip of her tongue. _What year is this? _It was definitely not something she could ask just yet.

"Donatello's on his way." Leonardo walked back over to the couch. There was a brief silence as four pairs of eyes shifted around the room.

April broke the lingering silence, "Where are our manners," she shot Raphael a stern look, "I'm April." She put a smile on her face, offering her hand to the mystery woman.

"Andree." McCallister shook her hand. A moment passed, and April cleared her throat, catching the attention of the two turtles.

"Oh, yeah! I'm Leonardo." He bowed his head respectively to Andree. Standing straight, he looked back at his brother. The sai-carrying turtle just huffed.

"Name's Raphael." He barely gave her a look, before crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well then." April stood from sitting next to the couch, "Can I get you anything to drink, perhaps something eat?"

Andree took a deep breath and swung her legs the edge of the couch, planting her feet firmly on the ground. Bracing herself using the arm of the sofa, she attempted to stand. This plan was thwarted though when a wave of nausea overtook her and she fell back onto the cushions.

"Water will be fine, thank you." She said in a whispery voice. April nodded and went into the kitchen, leaving Andree with Leonardo and Raphael. McCallister glanced from one to the other. Raphael took slight offense to this and questioned her.

"What? Never seen a walkin' talkin' turtle before?" he asked sarcastically.

His inquiry seemed to bring back some of the fire in Andree, "Actually no. But I've definitely seen better looking species in my day." She snapped back, grinning at the daggers he shot back at her. Leonardo opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a loud voice coming from the kitchen.

"Hey, April! How's it hangin'?" the greeting was followed by a large thud. Raphael looked up and just shook his head. Curious as to who was there now, Andree turned around only to be greeted by the sight of two more turtles climbing through the window. These two wore an orange and purple bandana respectively.

"Hi, April." Donatello crawled in right behind his brother. He had a bag slung over his shoulder with his bo staff in hand. Using the long wooden weapon, he jumped down from the counter and onto the floor.

"It's a circus…" Andree muttered. She was unaware that Raphael had heard.

"Oh yeah, just a circus full of freaks, eh?" he uncrossed his arms and walked around the couch to where his two brothers had entered.

Andree bit her bottom lip, cursing herself for being foolish. These people had helped her and all she could do to repay them was make witty comments. She glanced up at Leonardo with an apologetic look. He merely nodded and followed Raph. McCallister sighed and leaned against the back of the couch. She could hear faint voices coming in from the kitchen.

"What are we doing, Leo? This is a complete waste of time." Raphael whispered hoarsely.

"We can't just kick her to the curb, Raph." Came Leo's reply.

"Yeah, dude. What if she's, like, from another planet or something?" Michelangelo piped in, coming to Andree's defense despite not yet having met her.

"Let's just try and get the whole story before we make any rash decisions, okay?" April interjected into the conversation, having filled a glass with water. She left the four brothers in the kitchen and made her way back into the living room.

"Here you are, one glass of cold water." April said with a smile, handing Andree the cool liquid.

"Thank you." She offered April a warm smile as she took the drink. At the same time, the four turtles entered the room. The youngest of the brothers bounded over the back of the couch landing right next to Andree. She looked at him and tried not to laugh at the wide goofy grin he gave her.

"I'm Michelangelo, but you can call me Mikey." He introduced himself.

"Mikey, huh? I'm Andree, but feel free to call me Andy." He eyes sparkled at the recognition of such youth in the bright face before her.

"I'm Donatello." The purple clad turtle took the chair adjacent to Andree, setting down the duffle bag he was carrying. Everyone else, save Raphael, followed suit and took up positions around their guest. April grabbed a chair from the kitchen and Leo sat cross legged on the floor.

"Well, looks like I'm the center of attention." She tried brushing off the anxious feeling she was getting. Andree didn't know if she was just dizzy or out of her mind. _Are you sure this isn't just a dream?_ She asked herself one more time. Shaking her head, Andree turned her attention to the five sets of eyes trained on her. They were waiting for an explanation, they didn't have to ask. McCallister just wasn't sure what she was going to tell them…

NOTE: Sorry for the lapse in updating and the less than aesthetic quality of this chapter. I just needed to push the timeline of the story a bit. Next one will be better, I promise! Please review! Flames are just a waste and will be ignored. Trust me, I know the difference between those and constructive criticism…


	4. Inquiring Minds

-1DISCLAIMER: Not mine...but pure genius.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm back! Sorry for the rather long hiatus, but duty called, literally. I've been going to school and training the past 9+ months in the US Navy. Crazy how life changes just like that. Anyway, hope you enjoy this little intro chapter back into the story. I apologize as it may be a bit shorter than the others, but I wanted to get this story going again as soon as possible.

"Well?" The words hissed through Raphael's teeth as he stared cross-armed at McCallister. She merely returned the look, realizing that convincing him she wasn't a threat was going to be more difficult. Shifting uneasily, Andree looked at each of them.

"You know, I saw a movie like this once! This dude was traveling through the jungle and- OW!" Michelangelo's sidebar was quickly halted by his brother Leo. Having quieted the loudest of his siblings, Leonardo focused on the woman in front of him. He stood as he spoke.

"Let's start from the beginning." he paced slowly in front of the couch, which made McCallister just a bit nervous.

"Where exactly did you come from?" the question came not from Leonardo, but Donatello. Andree shifted her gaze from the pacing turtle. She felt the butterflies start to subside. There was something calming about the way this purple-wearing turtle spoke. After a few moments of deliberation, she decided on a coarse of action. As many vague details as possible.

"Well, I didn't come here from Earth." Bad move. The anxious look on Mikey's face showed Andy that she had not chosen her words wisely.

"Really now? Care to elaborate?" Raphael's cool tone pierced through the Marine's train of thought.

"You're probably not going to believe me…" Andree began, but after looking at her hosts she thought otherwise. "Or maybe."

"We're not going to hurt you, Andree. We just want some information. Who knows, maybe we can help you get back." Donatello stated, matter-of-factly. McCallister nodded her agreement, though unsure if they really could help.

"It couldn't hurt." she glanced at Michelangelo's eager expression, "I came from Mars." she smirked as the words came out. It sounded so silly to her, to explain her origin in such a way. A loud snort erupted from next to her and she saw Michelangelo's shoulders shaking as he fought hard to suppress the laughter that threatened to be unleashed. She couldn't blame the turtle, she found it quite funny herself. So much it showed. Her own laughter caught the attention of the four brothers and April.

"What's so funny?" Raphael was beginning to get slightly annoyed. They were getting no where fast.

"I'm sorry. I know it sounds strange, but it's quite true." Andy caught the surprised look on everyone's faces. "I'm not some sort of Martian, or any other kind of alien for that matter. In fact, I'm about as human as they come."

"Then how can you be from Mars?" The question was out of pure innocence and McCallister smiled as she looked at Michelangelo, finding herself liking the young turtle's personality.

"It's where I work. "

"Seriously? Dude, that's awesome!" Mikey's exclamation was enough to send Raphael over the edge.

"I can't believe this!" he exploded, throwing his hands up in the air. Turning his back, Raphael walked away from the group and into the kitchen, Leonardo right on his heels.

"Raph, what's your problem?" Leo stood just behind his brother.

"This whole situation, Leo." he turned slightly, so his eyes met Leonardo's, "What are we trying to do? We can't get a straight answer out of this woman. We don't know where she came from or why she's even here."

"Have you ever thought that maybe she really is telling the truth? Maybe she did come from Mars, we've seen stranger things than this before." he walked a few steps to stand in front of Raphael. "Give her a chance, Raph. I know it's been a rough night, but we all need to be patient if we're going to get the answers we need. Now, c'mon. Let's get back in there." Leo placed his hand on Raphael's shoulder, pleading with his eyes for him to calm down. Raphael just huffed in agreement and walked back into the living room.

The two were met by a peel of laughter coming from their kin and the two women. Noticing their return, Andree turned back to look at them, a smile on her face. That smile shrunk a little, but didn't completely go away, when she noticed Raphael. His much calmer demeanor put her more at ease. The cause of the laughter had come from Michelangelo's impression of a Martian from outer space.

"Oh, Michelangelo, where do you come up with this stuff?" April asked as she wiped tears from her eyes. The orange-banded turtle merely shrugged, grinning.

"It's all those lame-brain movies and comics." Raphael stated as he took to leaning against the wall just behind April.

"Or maybe it's the video games." Donatello added.

"Culturally advanced, are we?" McCallister raised an eyebrow as Michelangelo.

"Hardly." snorted Raph.

"Let's not start." Leonardo broke in, stepping in to stop any type of fight that could start between the two. "Now, Andree, is there any thing you can tell us about how you got here?"

"Well, in my line of work we get around a little differently than you might here."

"How so?" Intrigued, Donatello leaned forward in his chair, using his bo staff for support.

"We travel short distances very much the same as you, but going a much longer distance is different. We sort of just, transport there." she shrugged, explaining it as simply as she could.

"Hmm, interesting. Does this device transport through time also?" Donatello pushed further into the subject.

"That's the thing, it doesn't. Or at least it wasn't built to. Where I come from, time travel is a very sensitive thing and not something to be tampered with. From what I gather, my being here was by way of a malfunction." the words came easily for Andy as she spoke directly to Donatello, the turtle nodding every once in a while, communicating that he understood.

"So you're saying you're not from our time?" Leo spoke up. Andree nodded. At this point, having seen only a glimpse of what kind of turtles these were, McCallister felt she could confide her true nature. It was surreal that while traveling through time haphazardly as she had done, that she had lucked out in coming here.

"Correct. And if I may ask a question of you all, exactly what year is it?" she looked to and from each of them.

"You're in the early 21st century," the answer came from Donatello, though he didn't look at her directly. He was busy rifling through his duffle bag in search of something.

"Unbelievable. That means I've traveled over 300 years…in the past." McCallister fell back against the couch in disbelief. This couldn't be happening, she had to be dreaming.

"So you're from the future? How rad is that? Is there like, flying cars and stuff?" Mikey leaned in closer, his eyes full of wonder. Andree turned her head and gave him a small smile.

"No flying cars, at least none that work. They're all in museums now." she sighed, starting to feel a twinge of longing, to get back to her own time. "There haven't been hover cars for nearly a century. They became obsolete with the introduction of the transporter." she explained to him.

"And this was the device that sent you here to New York?" Donatello asked.

Andree fought back a yawn and nodded, "Uh-huh. Same one." she blinked a few times to clear her eyes of the sleep that was trying to fight it's way through. April took notice of this and stood up.

"I think it's time we call it a night. We can continue this little conversation tomorrow morning." she picked up the chair she had been using and brought it back into the kitchen.

"Ah, April, do we hafta? It was just starting to get good!" Mikey whined as Leonardo motioned for him to stand.

"I'm sorry, Michelangelo, but it's been a long night, especially for our guest. You can come back tomorrow." April gave the turtle a reassuring smile as she patted him on the shoulder.

"April's right, we should be going. Master Splinter will want to be informed of what happened." the ever-rational Leo spoke as he began ushering is three brothers to the window.

"Fine." Michelangelo muttered, before looking up at Andree, who by that time was standing, "It was nice meeting you Andy." he grinned in spite of his disappointment at leaving.

"The pleasure was all mine, Mikey." she returned his smile. McCallister followed the turtle as he exited the living room. Standing near the counter, she stopped Leonardo before got to the window. The leader shifted his weight to his back foot as he came to stand in front of Andree, a questioning look in his eye.

Andy, not being too good with words in such cases, paused a moment before choosing a simple phrase, "Thank you." No more words passed between the two as Leo simply nodded and left. In that single gesture, Andree knew he understood the message she was trying to convey.

Donatello was right behind him, and the last to leave of the four brothers. With his bag slung over his shoulder and bo staff in hand, he used it for leverage before stepping up onto the counter in front of the window. Pivoting, he turned back and waved at Andree and April before disappearing into the cool New York night. McCallister looked out the window at where the turtle had once stood, barely noticing April closing it. The woman's voice broke her train of thought.

"So whatdya think?" her question was genuine, "Most people freak out at their first meeting with four mutant turtles."

"Hmm?" Andy had barely caught the question and gave her a blank stare at first. A split second later she snapped out of it and shrugged her shoulders, "They saved my life. I owe them a great deal." it was all she could find to say at the moment. The earlier signs of fatigue were starting to seep in more strongly and all Andy could think about at the moment was sleep. Even her current problem of time displacement couldn't overshadow her unyielding need to rest.

"Yeah, well they're pretty good at that." April smiled, recognizing the tired look. "Here, I'll show you where you can stay." Andree nodded and began to follow April out of the kitchen and further into the apartment, but not before stealing one more glance back at the window. She had just met four new faces and personalities, each one so unique in such a way that they made the most uncanny of families. Yet, a family they were, and a strong one at that. McCallister made a mental note to find out as much about them and their Master Splinter as she could before leaving…if she ever left.


	5. Waffles and New Faces

DISCLAIMER: I don't own TMNT, but I bet the ones who do are happy.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The words are flowing a little bit easier now and I've resorted to carrying around a notebook with me in case any ideas pop up. I love it when this happens. Please, review and let me know what you think! And as for the reviews I've received already, thanks a lot, it's always great to get feedback.

**Mars - 2386**

"What do you mean she just disappeared!? People don't just vanish out of thin air!" Michael Sanders yelled in frustration as the report came to him of the transport accident that had just occurred. The feeling he had earlier about not letting McCallister head the mission came back full force. _Why wasn't I more insistent? _Sanders slammed his fist into the chair, punctuating his own thoughts.

"I want every nano byte of information you have from the time the transporter was initialized to now. Include any diagnostics run in the past week." he barked to the lieutenant. The young officer nodded and hurried off to gather the information. Staring at the screen full of data in front of him, Sanders racked his brain for an explanation. _Where'd you go, Andy?_

**New York - Present Day**

McCallister gave a small sigh of relief as she settled herself in front of the desk in the spare room of April's apartment. Glancing around she noticed that the space looked rather lived in, more so than a normal guest bedroom might. Her guess was that the prior, and re-occurring, occupants were none other than the four turtles she had met earlier that evening.

Shaking her head with a small laugh, Andree turned back to her original task. April had been kind enough to supply the pilot with a pen and notebook for her to write a log for a future report. This, of course, was agreed only to the relief of both that it would stay under lock and key when not in use. It was for the safety of both Andy and the turtles and the secrets they had. Flipping the cover open, she began to write.

_March 19, 2007_

_Lieutenant Colonel Andree M. McCallister_

_The above date is no joke. I have found myself caught in this timeline in early 21st Century New York City. My best guess is that there was a malfunction with the transporter that somehow dumped me here instead of our intended destination on Mars. It is possible for me to record this information through the efforts of a small group of individuals who came to my rescue, having seen the tail end of the transport. More background on them later, but let it be noted here that if not for their efforts my chances of survival would have been severely cut._

_I find myself to be in good physical and mental health, save for a few bumps and bruises, a result of the fall I took post-transport. I am currently being housed in a small apartment in New York, under the care of a more than hospitable host. Tomorrow I shall meet again with those that found me in hopes of devising a plan of action to find the cause of what happened and eventually a way to send me back._

McCallister set the pen down and closed the notebook. Opening the bottom drawer of the desk, she slipped the pad inside, closed it, then locked it. Tucking the key away in a safe place, Andy stood and walked over to the bed which had been turned down. Slipping between the sheets she quickly fell into a deep sleep, glad to finally have some rest.

**The next day **

The door to the spare bedroom silently opened and a pair of feet slowly tiptoed across the threshold. Andy lay sound asleep in the bed which stood at the far end of the room. That was, until, the intruder misjudged a step, his foot coming down on a rather creaky floor board. The ninja stopped suddenly, hoping he hadn't woken the sleeping woman, then continued on once he was fairly sure he hadn't. However, he was wrong. McCallister had began waking up the instant the door opened, the process quickening at the sound of a creaky floor board.

"Mikey, what are you doing?" the terse whisper emanated from the bedroom door as Donatello poked his head inside to see what his brother was up to.

"Shhh!" Michelangelo put his finger to his mouth to quiet his brainy brother, "Be vewy, vewy, quiet. I'm huntin' wabbits!" he whispered hoarsely in his best Elmer Fudd impersonation. Donatallo didn't find this the least bit funny.

"C'mon, Michelangelo. You're gonna wake her up!" he pleaded. Meanwhile, Andree was watching the whole episode play unbeknownst to the two turtles. She watched as Michelangelo stealthily worked his way across the room. He stooped down out of sight coming back up moments later with a skateboard McCallister had seen the previous night.

"Alright, you've got what you came for, Mikey, now get out of there!" Donatello urged.

"Do you think we should wake her up? Y'know, let her know April's makin' us breakfast?" he asked Don as the two left the room.

"No, I don't think so. Right now she needs all the rest she can get. Besides, how do you know you didn't already wake her up with your little escapade…" the turtle's voiced trailed off as the door quietly clicked shut.

After a moment or two Andree opened her eyes and glanced around the room. Judging by the daylight coming through the window, it was probably close to 8, maybe 9 in the morning. She felt well rested. Sitting up in bed, Andree stretched and swung her legs over the side. Her uniform was draped across the back of a chair, but there was also a pile of clothes folded neatly sitting on the cushion.

_I must have been sleeping harder than I thought_. Andree mused as she walked across the room to where the clothes were sitting, taking note that April must have left them there some time last night. Making sure the door was locked, McCallister went about changing into the fresh set of clothes and soon emerged from the room to the savory smell of bacon and waffles cooking.

Emerging into the living area she noticed that only three of the brothers were there, but there was another in place of the fourth. Andree pondered the sight for a second, slowly coming to the realization that this must be the Master Splinter spoken of the night before. Not wanting to seem rude, however, McCallister continued nonchalantly to her destination.

Leonardo nodded in greeting to McCallister, but it was a rambunctious Michelangelo that voiced his pleasure at seeing their guest awake. He bounced over with a large grin on his face, but all that changed in a split second as he reverted to his martian-esque impression for last night. The grin became more lopsided as his tongue slipped out, dangling to the side and his eyes crossed as if he were staring directly in front of himself. As if on cue Mikey's head began to bobble from side to side and he started walking in a zigzag pattern toward Andy. As he came to stand awkwardly in front of her, he immediately bounced up to normal height.

"Mornin' Andy!" the large smile from before returned, "Want some breakfast? It's really good," he continued, running by her toward the dining room table where a large platter rested, "April makes all her waffles from scratch, they're great! You should try 'em!" he turned back to face her with an eager expression.

"Okay, if you insist." she said jokingly, throwing her hands in the air in surrender. Michelangelo quickly ushered her to the seat just to the left of where Leonardo was seated at the table. In an instant he had a plate full of waffles in front of her, syrup at the ready. Andree stole a glance at Leo, who just shrugged his shoulders. The flurry of action continued as Mikey got another plate ready for himself, plopping down in the chair directly across from McCallister. He looked at her in anticipation, waiting to see what she thought of the meal. At this point, Andy had a small suspicion that her new friend had very much to do with the preparation of breakfast that morning. Taking in a breath and slowly letting it out, Andy dug her fork into the waffles and took a bite. Mulling it over for a moment as she chewed, she shot a thumbs up to Mikey.

"Alright!" he jumped up, jostling the table and almost spilling the pitcher of milk, which Leonardo snatched up, not casting to much as a glance to the jubilant turtle, his eyes still studying the paper in his hand.

"Told ya she'd like it." Mikey danced over to where Donatello sat, taunting his brother.

"Michelangelo!" the abrupt noise caused all motion in the room to stop. Andree ceased chewing and even Leonardo looked up from what he was reading. Michelangelo was caught in a comic gesture having instantly responded to the sound of his name. His eyes and those of Donatello's shifted to the source of the sound. Master Splinter calmly gazed at his youngest son and sighed almost unnoticeably. Shifting his walking stick from one hand to the other, he began to speak again, this time in a more calm demeanor.

"Calm yourself, my son." The words were simple, yet had a great affect on the turtle. Slowly dropping his arms and leg from their raised positions, Mikey quietly walked back to the dining room table. Andy shot him a sympathetic look. The moment was brief, as her curiosity had been seriously piqued and concentration shifted from breakfast to the large mutated rat only a few meters from her. Sensing the shift of attention, Splinter rose from his lotus position on the floor and slowly walked toward McCallister. As he approached she stood from her chair, as did Leonardo.

"Come, my child. We have much to discuss." Andy shot a look to Leo and Mike, who just nodded, relaying it was okay to go. Turning back to Splinter, McCallister said nothing, but followed the ninja master to a quiet part of the apartment where they could talk without any interruption. Reaching the desired location, Master Splinter faced Andree and motioned for her to take a seat on a pillow, as he himself did that same. Stealing a glance around, McCallister noticed the more Japanese feel to the small alcove and assumed it was a space used often by the rat.

"My sons tell me who are not of this time?" several minutes of silence were broken as Splinter spoke in a quiet voice. His gaze fell to the face of the woman seated in front of him as he pondered her presence there.

"That is true. I came here by accident from the future. There was a malfunction in a device we use for transportation." Andree summarized the conversation from the evening before into a few short sentences, knowing Master Splinter was probably already aware of her situation.

"Tell me, what was it that you do in your time?" The question caught McCallister a little off guard and her mind flashed briefly on a statement she had made to Michelangelo. _It's where I work._ Obviously he had told his Master every little detail. Andree smiled briefly before choosing the words to answer.

"I serve as the Commanding Officer of an outpost on Mars. It's a small command, but it's purpose there is quite important. We are a key link and a means of defense for the colony on that planet. The outpost acts as a liaison between the citizens of Earth and other species." McCallister felt somewhat at ease with Splinter and felt comfortable in furthering her trust in this family of mutated beings and their friend. She felt, despite the training she had received, that disclosing this information would only help.

Master Splinter did not say a word as he took in the information she volunteered. His eyes closed in thought and silence grew between them. Andree's breathing became lighter as she watched him. An eternity seemed to pass by before he opened his eyes again.

"I believe Donatello may wish to speak to you further. He appears to be thoroughly interested in your situation." Andree wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a small smile creep across his face. No words were spoken again as McCallister took this as a sign she had been dismissed. Standing up, she quietly left Splinter to his solitude away from the turtles.

Re-entering the dining area, Andy was pleased to find Michelangelo happily devouring a tower of waffles, having gotten over his scolding from before. Looking away from him, she scanned the room quickly to find Donatello not too far away, fiddling with some sort of device he was holding. The words of Master Splinter echoed quietly in her head as Andy made her way across the room to where he sat.

"Is this seat taken?"

"Huh? Oh, no. Go ahead." Donatello fumbled the small electronic device, being somewhat startled at Andy's sudden appearance.

"So, what ya working on?" she leaned over slightly to get a better look at what Donatello had in his hand. Seeing her interest he held it up.

"It's a communication device, I call it a Shell Cell." he explained, offering it to her.

"Interesting…" she took up the cell and examined it closely. "Remarkable. Did you make this yourself?" she asked, handing it back to him.

"Sort of. I salvaged the parts and put it together. It was simple, really." he was about to go into further detail on the Shell Cell's creation when a knock came at the door. McCallister barely had time to register what was going on before she realized that the only two people visible in the apartment were herself and April. The turtles had vanished and the only sign any of them had been there was the half eaten pile of waffles.

"Amazing." she muttered to herself, standing up and looking around the now empty apartment. April hurried to the door, looking through the peep hole to see who it was that had knocked. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as she recognized the caller and began unlatching the door.

"Casey, what are you doing here?" she fired the question at the tall man on the other side of the door. There was no time for a reply was him, as it came from another direction.

"He's with me." Andy couldn't help the slight cringe that came from the sound of Raphael's voice as he climbed skillfully through the kitchen window. Though she had no true disdain for the smart-mouthed turtle, the two did not exactly see eye to eye.

"Raph was telling me about this chick he and Leo hauled in last night. Said she fell from the sky and…" Casey's words trailed off as he caught sight of the very "chick" he was talking about. "Wow, Raph, you never mentioned she was a looker." he grinned as he spoke, all the while his eyes never leaving Andree.

"Now why would I do that?" he muttered under his breath as he climbed down from the counter. The second his foot hit the ground a cry sounded from under the cupboard, startling him.

"Case, I swear you have the worst timing! We were right in the middle of breakfast!" Michelangelo's head popped out from the cupboard drawer and right between Raphael's legs. Leonardo was the next to emerge, doing so from a corner of the living room. Donatello wasn't too far behind swinging down from the ceiling of the small hallway leading to the bedrooms.

Raphael let out a huff of air as he moved clear of Mikey before an accident took place. Not caring to deal with Casey and his sudden fascination with Andree, he trudged over to the table and sat down, taking up a plate and piling it with waffles. Mikey, having pulled himself free of the woodwork walked right in between Casey and Andree and began giving the turtle's other human friend a guilt trip. It took Jones a few moments to shift his attention to the much shorter turtle speaking to him. _Didn't Raph say she was the devil incarnate? _Casey thought as he silently took in Michelangelo's barrage of words.

Finally free of Casey's gaze, Andree moved out of the living room and into the dining room where Raphael sat eating what was left of the waffles. She wrung her hands nervously trying to think of what to say to him. He had, after all, been one of the two that had found her on the rooftop. The least she could do was try to make amends. Right?

"Uh, Raphael, is it?" she started.

"What do _you_ want?" he looked up at McCallister with an obvious dislike showing in his eyes.

"I uh, wanted to apologize for the way I acted last night. You and your brother helped me a great deal and I shouldn't have said some of the things I did." her voice was a little bit stronger, but she still wasn't sure if she had worded it the way she wanted.

"Damn right." a fire flashed in Raphael's eyes as he agreed with her statement. "Leo and I drag you all the way down here, probably saving you from some street thugs, _or worse, _and the only thanks I got was anything but."

_Way to bring home the guilt._ McCallister thought, not saying anything in reply to his rant. She merely through her arms down to her sides and walked away. Anger had begun building inside of her and she didn't want any repeats of their only other conversation.. Leaving the dining area, she ran into Donatello, who had his duffle slung over his shoulder.

"Don't mind him. He's always like that." the brainy turtle offered her a reassuring smile as he checked the contents of the bag. Happy with what he saw there, Donatello moved by Andree and headed for the window. McCallister pivoted on her heel as her eyes followed him.

"Where are you heading?" she asked, curious as to why none of the others were following.

"A little scavenger hunt at the local junkyard." Don grinned and continued to make his way to the exit.

"Hey," he turned around at the sound of her voice, "Mind if I tag along? I could use a breath of fresh air." Donatello smiled and nodded in reply to her question. Taking a quick glance over her shoulder to see who was watching, McCallister slipped through the window, following Donatello as he led the way.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Didn't want to keep you all waiting too much longer for another chapter. There is plenty more to come as I have all sorts of ideas and dialogue floating through my head. For now, however, this is all I'm going to post so as not to make the chapter too long. Enjoy! And stay tuned!


	6. Junkyard Inquiries

DISCLAIMER: Not mine, but a girl can dream right?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the delay in updating, things got crazy. I have been writing in a notebook here and there when an idea comes. Another thing, finally went and saw TMNT last weekend, I loved it. Can't wait for the sequel. Anyway, enjoy!

New York - Present Day

It was a warm morning compared to the cool chill of the night before. Andree walked slowly behind Donatello as they wove their way through the back alleys of New York. She hummed quietly to herself, looking around at all the tall buildings trying to remember the last time she had been there. It was just after she had taken the orders to Mars.

McCallister's reason for visiting then was to convince a fellow Marine and long-time friend to join her on the Mars outpost. Michael Sanders was looking for the fast track to a promotion to Major and was anything but interested in taking the mundane assignment. It took some convincing on her part, but Andy managed to hook Sanders on the idea.

Michael. She hadn't realized until just then how much she missed him. The two had been friends for ages, long before either of them decided to become a pilot. Their parents were friends and they had lived only houses away from each other. Now they were hundreds of years apart.

Her train of thought was interrupted by the distinct sound of a chain link fence being pulled open. Glancing ahead, Andy saw the turtle pulling on a gate that led into a small junkyard. It was only now, as she followed him through the entrance, that she noticed they had wandered down by the marina.

Don had been aware of the woman's quiet manner during the duration of their trip. He had been trying to think of different ways to start a conversation. It shouldn't have been hard considering there were so many questions he wanted to ask. Don also realized that there was very little he knew about McCallister and therefore did not know how to approach her with his inquiries.

Well, we're going to have to talk sometime, can't spend the whole day in silence. He thought to himself.

As Donatello headed straight for a pile of scrap metal, Andy occupied herself with studying the horizon and a prominent New York City skyline. It was definitely different from the one she knew. Standing there, she tried to clear her mind, to relax a little from the stress of the last twelve hours.

"Penny for your thoughts?" the voice came from behind and Andy turned to see Donatello standing a few feet away.

"Hm?" she had understood the question, but for some reason it hadn't registered.

"You seem to have a lot on your mind." he stepped up next to her, surveying the scene that was the lower Manhattan harbor.

"Not as much as you'd think." she sighed lightly.

"That's not entirely true." she gave him an odd look but Donatello continued, "You just went through a major ordeal. Being sent back in time, no clear way to get back, and only four giant turtles and a rat to help you. I'd have a lot on my mind right now."

Andy chuckled slightly at Donatello's reasoning. He had a point. She'd been doing more than her fair share of thinking lately and it was starting to wear on her senses.

"There have been a couple of times already that I've wondered if I'm going to make it back." she confessed, "It isn't easy coming from where I did and being stuck in a place that's not nearly as technologically advanced." as soon as the words has escaped her mouth she turned her head quickly, "No offense, that's just how I feel." Andy added in a somewhat apologetic tone.

"No, it's okay. I understand where you're coming from. I've felt the same way before," Donatello flashed back on the memories of him and his brothers going up against their time traveling foe, Savanti Romero.

A silence passed between them as both stared out over the water. Andree again tried to relax her mind as Donatello pondered a means to ask questions without seeming like the true technology geek he was. But what came next had nothing to do with gadgets.

"What do you miss most?" McCallister was caught slightly off guard by the question and had to take a moment to let it sink in.

"Flying." it was a simple one word answer.

"Flying?" his interest piqued, Don turned his back on the cityscape, resting both his shell and elbows on the guardrail.

"Yeah." Andy smiled as those adrenaline-filled memories came rushing back.

"You really love it don't you? Being a pilot."

"It's right up there with breathing." The light in her eyes returned more. Looking at Donatello, a thought began to form in her head.

"You know, I've been doing a lot of answering. I think it's my turn to start asking some questions." the turtle arched a brow at her, "You and your brothers know a decent amount about me, yet I know very little of you."

"Well, there's not much to tell really. We're just four mutant ninja turtles with a rat for a sensei and father. No big deal." he shrugged it off.

"I want to know more," McCallister crossed her arms lightly across her chest and leaned against the rail, "Tell me more about your family. Aside from the blatant obvious. Let's start with your brother, Leonardo. I've noticed he seems to be the self-appointed leader."

Donnie nodded his head, agreeing with Andree, "He's very studious. Raph calls him Splinter Jr." he shook his head a little, "Leo's a very strict follower of the code of ninja,"

"Bushido." Andy interrupted. Don inclined his head, slightly impressed. Even in the 21st century the art of ninjitsu was becoming overshadowed by other means of fighting. He figured that by the time the 24th century rolled around it would be obsolete.

"Right." Don paused briefly, "For the most part he's pretty calm. Raph grates on his nerves a bit, and Mikey just gets on everyone's nerves," he cracked a small smile at the thought of his orange-banded brother, "but he manages to keep everything in check."

"Michelangelo is unique. Seems very full of life and eager to make people laugh."

"And it usually works, until he starts on Raph. Then things get a bit touchy. Mikey can handle him though." Donnie shot a side glance at McCallister, who was staring at a pile of twisted metal not too far off. She never broke her gaze as she replied.

"I'm rather intrigued by Raphael's personality." her voice echoed the sentiment, definitely catching Donatello's attention, "He comes off as very rough around the edges but at the same time, very well trained and disciplined."

"Raphael? Disciplined?" the observation was hardly accurate in Don's opinion. To him, Raphael was the more reckless of the brothers and hardly ever followed any given order. He was shaken out of his thoughts when Andree continued talking.

"Oh I know he may not show it outright, but it's there. Take it from someone who's got experience in that area." she uncrossed her arms and shifted weight from one foot to the other.

"You know someone like Raph?"

"Yep," a sly grin spread across her face, "Me." Don was now fully facing McCallister. Every word she spoke grabbed his interest more and more.

"In what way? If you don't mind me saying, you don't seem anything like Raphael."

"Hey, I thought we were talking about your family and not me?" McCallister's face came back to life as she broke sight with the junkyard before her and pivoted to look at Donatello, a mock show of accusation on her face.

"We were, but - " he began.

"No 'buts.' It's your turn. Tell me something about yourself."

"He's a turtle super geek!" the exclamation was followed by a chuckle and the sudden emergence of Michelangelo. He was followed soon after by Leonardo. Donatello scowled at his brother, pushing off the guard rail as if to take action, but stopped.

"Very funny, Mikey." Leo's calm voice cut the tension as he walked over to where Donatello and Andree were standing. He just shook his head giving Don a look of sympathy. Andy patted the tech-wise turtle on the shoulder.

"We came to help. Besides, April kicked us out of her apartment. Raph and Casey went off somewhere so we came here!" Michelangelo spread his arms wide with a grin to match.

"Yeah, well you can start by helping me pack this stuff up." Donatello pointed to a pile of salvage he had collected earlier. Taking a few steps, he grabbed Michelangelo by the tails of his bandana and dragged the energetic turtle toward the junk. Despite the objections of his brother, Don didn't loosen his grip. Both Leonardo and Andree watched as the two moved away. With a sigh, Leo looked back at her.

"I'm sorry about the way Raph's been acting. Despite being a bit of a hot head, he's usually not this bad around people." he explained.

"Don't worry about it. I can understand where he's coming from. He sees me as a threat, it's natural. There's no need to apologize, I think I can handle anything he sends my way." she reassured him.

"Hey, this is cool!"

"Mikey! Put that down, it's sensitive equipment!"

"Well, we better go help before you lose a brother." McCallister started for the two feuding turtles with Leonardo close on her heels.

"Don's really not the aggressive type." he commented as they got closer. Walking up next to Mikey, Leo took the piece of equipment from his brother and handed it over to Donatello. "Come on Michelangelo, help me with the rest of this stuff." Andy watched the two curiously. She admired the way Leonardo handled each of his brothers' unique personalities, a virtue of his own.

It took the four of them another half hour to collect and pack up everything Donatello had found. By that time it was getting close to lunch and Michelangelo was doing his part to remind everyone of that very fact. As if on cue he had begun moaning about being hungry as the last of the salvage was packed up.

"Can we leave? I'm so hungry my stomach's starting to turn inside out all over itself!" Mikey whined, grabbing his midsection.

"Did that make sense to you?" Andree leaned in, whispering to Leonardo, all the while giving the orange-wearing turtle a curious look.

"It's not supposed to. Michelangelo said it." Leo stated matter-of-factly, grabbing a bag and slinging it over his shoulder. McCallister just shook her head and followed suit. As soon as Donatello had grabbed his own duffle bag he started walking, pushing Michelangelo ahead of him.

"Let's go, Michelangelo."

"All right! Pizza here I come!" Mikey ran off ahead of the group, dancing around and singing some made up song about pepperoni and cheese. As his voice faded off in front of the group, things became quiet. Don let out a sigh of relief and eased into a steady pace, falling into step with Andree and Leo, who were just behind him.

The trio walked along for a moment without saying a word. Andree glanced at the two turtles out of the corner of her eye. The way they lived, acted, interacted with their human friends, everything about them was intriguing to her. Their dedication in learning the art of ninja was equally impressive. She made a mental note to speak with Master Splinter more in depth about their origins.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" the sharp scream pierced through the air, shattering the silence of only seconds before. In an instant both Donatello and Leonardo dropped the bags and had weapons drawn. Andree took a step back behind them, looking in the direction of the wail. Everything fell silent again, save for the sound of pounding footsteps quickly approaching. A moment passed and the next thing they saw was Michelangelo tearing around the corner running full speed, a terrified look on his face.

"Help! Save me! There's a horrible monster back there!" he slid passed them in an attempt to stop, and once he had gained his balance ducked right behind Andree. She could feel him shaking as he stood behind her, hiding his head in her shirt. McCallister twisted a little, looking back at him. A few feet away, Leo and Don waited to see what would come around the corner next.

"Hahahaha! What a sucker!" the laughter echoed off the mountains of metal and Andy looked to see the two battle-ready turtles physically relax. Looking past them, she caught the familiar sight of Raphael walking toward them, with Casey not far behind.

"Hey, what do you get when you cross a chicken and a turtle?" Raphael asked with a large grin on his face. Leo and Don didn't say anything but went about picking up the bags. Andree just shrugged and Michelangelo slowly peeked around her arm to look at his brother. After no one answered, he continued with a laugh.

"Mikey." Raph laughed even harder, this time joined by Casey. Realizing he was the butt of the joke, Michelangelo moved out from behind McCallister and stepped a few feet to the side.

"Oh very funny, Raph. You should have seen that thing, though. It was the most hideous, grotesque looking, foul-smelling, monster I've ever…" he stopped in mid sentence. The light bulb seemed to turn on and a mock wave of realization washed over him. "Oh wait, it was just you, Raph!" the words rolled easily from his mouth and Andree got the sense that this was a common game played between them.

Andree bent down to pick up the duffle bag again, not paying much attention to the low growl the emanated from a few feet away. As she stood back up a wind blew against her skin and a flash of green and red went by. It was followed by a grunt and a thud. McCallister spun around, only to find Raphael on top of his brother's shell in a game of mercy. Seeing it was something not out of the ordinary, merely by the lack of a reaction from the others, McCallister shrugged and turned back, only to come face to face with Casey.

"Hey there, I don't think we were formerly introduced. I'm Casey Jones." his blue eyes flashed as he held a hand out to her.  
"Andree." she shook his hand briefly, giving the man a small smile.

"Here, let me take that for ya." Casey slid the duffle bag full of scrap metal from McCallister and slung it over his own shoulder.

"Uh, thanks." Andy gave him a grateful smile as he took the bag.

"No, problem."

"Ow! Hey, Leo, tell Raph to get off of me!" the muffled whine beckoned out to his older brother. Leonardo didn't even blink as he responded.

"Raph, Mikey, let's go. Master Splinter is waiting for us in the lair." he didn't even look back at them, but instead began walking again. There were sounds of a protest and then another yelp from Michelangelo as he got a thump on the head. Soon enough they were all making their way out of the junkyard to a nearby abandoned warehouse.

McCallister waited patiently, watching as Donatello and Raphael went to the doors and pulled them open. She followed as everyone hurried inside and the two heavy wooden doors were closed behind them. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust, coming out of the bright sun. The sight that came into focus was not one that Andy expected. There before her was a large moving van, normal enough, if not for the souped up engine exposed by the raised hood. There was also a line of motorcycles against the wall and various other gadgets and such scattered about.

"This way." Donatello called out as a strange machine opened up, revealing a small room. McCallister had never seen anything like it. She stared in wonder at the brightly lit patterns.

"Let's go, I'm starving." Mikey brushed by her, running through the door. Not wanting to hold everyone up coupled with her own hunger pains, McCallister made a mental note to talk to Don about this later. Stepping inside the small room, she waited as the door closed and they shot through the floor of the warehouse, descending into the sewer system below. 


End file.
